Chennai Super Kings just can’t catch a break. They lost their fourth straight match, this time to Punjab Kings by 18 runs. Punjab set the tone with 219 runs, thanks to a explosive century from opener Priyansh Ary. Chennai’s chase was led by Devan Conway’s 69 and Shivam Dube’s 42, but they fell short.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad pointed out that dropped catches made all the difference. “In the last four games, that’s been the main difference,” he said. “Every time we drop catches, that batsman gets an extra 20-25 runs. If you take out the game against RCB, in the last three chases, it’s been a matter of one or two hits. Sometimes you have to appreciate how Priyansh played. He took his chances. It was high-risk batting and it paid off for him.”
Gaikwad also praised his team’s batting, saying it was their best performance yet. “Our best batsmen, who can play pace really well, batted in order and had a great powerplay. It was a better performance and there were many positives. I want to take some positives from this and we were just two or three hits away from winning.” He noted that Conway’s ability to time the ball is valuable in the top order, and that Ravindra Jadeja is known for his finishing role.
The captain believes that fielding is an area where his team needs to improve. “If you’re nervous, you’ll drop catches. If you want to be a great fielder, saving that first boundary, taking that first catch, it all helps. Batting and bowling can have bad days, but fielding is something we’re trying to work on, but it’s not happening yet.”
After this loss, Chennai Super Kings are now ninth in the standings, with four losses in five games and a dismal net run rate of -0.889.